Weight loss can be a touchy subject for people. In a world shaped by body image, weight loss is very personal. My weight loss journey began when I moved to Japan in 2018 and has led me to lose 50 pounds. For a long time, I debated about sharing my story, but the past few months have given me a different perspective on health and fitness. Like many people, as I got older and finished college I settled into a sedentary lifestyle. I never hated exercising, but it was not a priority in my life. However, after I moved to Japan things dramatically changed, which led me to lose 50…
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Lessons from running in a virtual race series
Like many runners, my running goals and plans for 2020 were thrown for a loop due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. I started participating in virtual races and challenges, which helped me stay on track. Most recently I undertook a virtual race series, which has made me think about my running and what I learned from running in a virtual race series. Fusion Racing organized the Don’t Worry, Be Hoppy Virtual Race Series. It was five races of five different distances over the five weekends of May 2020. I decided to participate for two reasons. First and foremost, I had already signed up for the Hopping Across America virtual challenge,…
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Finding ways to run while social distancing
Since mid-January, road races big and small have been canceled across the globe. The Tokyo Marathon limited its field to elite runners. The London Marathon postponed its race from April to October. Recently races across the United States have been canceled or postponed as COVID-19 continues to spread. So how do people find ways to compete while social distancing? With the advent of virtual races, running while social distancing is easier than people expect. What is social distancing? Recent health suggestions during the COVID-19 pandemic have encouraged people to maintain social distancing. There are multiple aspects to social distancing that governments around the world have encouraged, such as working from…
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My running goals for 2020 and beyond
The end of the year usually brings about reflection and goal setting for the new year. After taking time the past few weeks to reflect on 2019 and thinking about the future I’ve set some long-term running goals for myself. I may accomplish some of these goals in 2020, but these are long-term goals, so I do not have a specific deadline. Setting my goals A few months ago, I participated in a 10-mile race. It wasn’t officially timed, but I clocked in at 1:24 (about an 8:30 pace). I shared this accomplishment on my personal Facebook page because I am proud of how far I have come with my…